So, the Grizzlies and Warriors… this should be fun. Let’s be honest, the Grizzlies slump has become a real thing. We could ignore it when it was just the preseason, and the first few games, but after the slaughter against the Pelicans on Wednesday, it’s impossible to shake the feeling that something is wrong with this team. They’re 2-3, and their next two games are against two of the best teams in the league – the Warriors and the Pacers. If the Grizzlies can emerge from this test with even one win, it will come as a huge reassurance. If the Grizzlies drop both, the feeling that something is seriously wrong with this team will only grow stronger.

Expected Starting Lineups:

Mike Conley vs Stephen Curry
Splash Bros. part I. I’ve been making the case for Conley as one of the better point guards in the game for years now, and to be cear, he’s a way better defender than Steph Curry. But Steph Curry is the most exhilarating player in the league. He plays with a beautiful recklessness that the rest of the league could never possibly emulate. He is NBA Jam come to life. With that said, he suffered a slight injury in Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, and that could effect his performance tonight. If Conley is able to keep pressure on him, and force him into a bad night, that could be the key for the Grizzlies.Advantage: Golden State

Tony Allenvs Klay Thompson
Isn’t this just a question of what you value more – offense or defense? Allen is a limited offensive player who can guard anyone, Thompson is an incredible shooter who struggles to guard anybody.Well, I think it’s close, but the second Splash Brother gets the edge for me, because his early performance this season gives the indication that he might be making a big leap, to the point where he could become one f the best shooting guards in the league before too long. Going against Allen will be a big challenge for Klay, though – if he puts up 30 against #9 tonight, we’ll know he’s really something special.Advantage: Golden State

TheWarriors made one of the bigger moves of the off-season when they went after Iguodala, a defensive beast who is a legitimate offesive contributor as well. The Warriors biggest problem for nearly a decade now has been their lack of competent defense. Fr years, we watched them score over 100 points a game only to give even more up on the other end. Iggy figures to go a long way in fixing that problem, as he can effectively guard scary players like LeBron, KD, and Carmelo Anthony. He probably won’t have to worry about that tonight, though, since Prince has become a non-entity on the offensive end. His defense is still solid, but he can’t shoot much these days, and it feels like only a matter of time before he is replaced by Quincy Pondexter in the starting lineup. If Conley – who has been the team’s best scorer lately – puts up a lot of points early on, look for the Warriors to put Iggy on him.Advantage: Golden State

The most difficult matchup to gauge tonight. Historically, Lee would be a slightly better offensive player, while Z-Bo would have a significant advantage on defense. Lately, though, Lee has looked much better defensively, and through five games, his defensive rating is a surprisingly low 94. Of course, this sort of thing could be an abberation, and it probably won’t stay that low all season long. Still, Lee has become a much more well-rounded player in recent years, and he’s emerged as one of the better power forwards in the game. Meanwhile, Z-Bo’s offensive game, while still potent, isn’t quite what it was in 2011.Advantage: Golden State

Marc Gasol vs Andrew Bogut
Okay, here’s one for the Grizzlies! I mean, sure, he’s looked better this year, and he’s slowly regaining his form from, say, two years ago, but he’ll never be as complete a player as Marc. With that said, Bogut does have enough defensive acumen to make like difficult for #33 in this game. Bogut has only attempted 18 shots this year, which gives the indication that he’s still gun shy on offense, although it may simply be a consequence of the abundance of shooters on this team. In any case, Marc is a much better finesse center, as well as the superior overall player.Advantage: Memphis

Benches:

Hey, Mo Speights! How’ve you been, man? Glad to be out of Cleveland, I bet. Speights has struggled shooting o far this year, but he’s certainly a capable backup 4. The Warriors has bench looks really scary now that Harrison Barnes is back. He was a capable starter for them all season long last year, and now he gives them considerable depth. Admittedly, this team was a little deeper last year – Toney Douglas is a considerable downgrade from Jarrett Jack – but they’re still built pretty solid. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies bench is certainly deep on paper, but it has yet to fully come together this season. neither Kosta Koufos or Ed Davis has looked particularly impressive – which is a bit worrisome, considering how much each of them thrived with their previous team. Hopefully, this lineup gets it together at some point this something. It seems like the grizzlies could have something great here, but so far, the results have been disappointing.Advantage: Memphis